Furniture having adjustable legs for varying the height thereof



Nov. 15, 1955 H. J. BALLY FURNITURE HAVING ADJUSTABLE LEGS F OR VARYING THE HEIGHT THEREOF 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 27, 1955 IN VE N TOR HANS J. BALL) Arr! Nov. 15, 1955 H J BALLY 2,723,888

FURNITURE HAVING ADJUSTABLE LEGS FOR VARYING THE HEIGHT THEREOF Filed Feb 27, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F166 17 74a 76 1s 15 21 26 1 INVEN TOR HANS J1 BALLY Ari.

United States Pate'titO FURNITURE HAVING ADJUSTABLE LEGS FOR VARYTNG THE HEIGHT THEREOF The present invention relates to a piece of furniture 2,723,888 Patented Nov. 15, 1955 with their other end to the circumference of said disc 7. A lever 9 is eccentrically secured to the disc 7 and adapted to effect small oscillations in a plane vertical to the table board. The free end of the lever 9 is formed as a handle. The lever 9 is further provided with an angle member secured to the lever in such a j The operation of the aforementioned adjusting means.

comprising a vertically adjustable plate supported by at least three legs.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a piece of furniture of the aforementioned type having very simple means for adjusting the plate in any position between two vertically spaced limit positions.

For this purpose the legs of the piece of furniture according to the present invention, are equidistantly swivelled on an articulation member in such a way, that their swivelling axes lie in a plane parallel to the plane of the plate, whereby the upper ends of the supports, which are constantly disposed-at equal distances with respect to each other on a circle, are connected in such a way with adjusting means that their radial distance from the center of said circle is variable simultaneously angle member 10 disengaging with the rack 11.

way that one flange of said member projects vertically towards the lower surface of the table board 1. This flange is adapted to cooperate with an arc-shaped rack 11 provided at the lower surface of the table board 1.

5-9 is the following:

Assuming the table is in its lowermost position shown in Fig. 3 and should be adjusted in its upmost position shown in Fig. 1. For this purpose the lever 9 is slightly pressed downwards. This results in the flange of the It is now possible to swing the lever in counterclockwise direction up to the end of the rack where the lever is released so that the aforementioned flange engages into the last gapof the rack 11. The swinging movement of lever 9 results in a rotation of the disc 7 in the same direction, whereby a portion of the steel tapes 8, portion depending on the angle of rotation, is warped around the circumference of the disc 7. Thereby the slides 5, and simultaneously the legs 2 swivelled to, them are inwardly shifted to a similar extent resulting in a corresponding reduction and to an equal extent for the purpose of changing the level of the plate in vertical direction.

The piece of furniture accordingto the invention is preferably formed as a table having a circular table board and the legs formed by the table legs.

. Likewise the piece of furniture could be a chair having a vertically adjustable seating surface.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description in which two embodiments of the invention are described, by way of example, in connection with the annexed drawings, in which:

Figs. 1 and 2 are views of a table with the table board in its upmost and lowermost position respectively.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view from below of the table board showing the adjusting means.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a detail of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view from above of a further detail of the embodiment according to Figs. 1-4.

Fig. 6 represents a vertical section of a detail of a second embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a View from below of the detail of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 represents, in reduced scale, a view from below of the table board with the adjusting means according to Figs. 6 and 7.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a detail of the adjusting means of the second embodiment.

The tables shown in the drawings comprise a table board 1 supported on three legs 2. Between their end portions the legs 2 are swivelled, at equal distance from each other, to a spherical articulation member 3, by means of trunnions 4. The connection is such that the swinging axes a (Fig. 5) lie in a plane which is parallel to the plane comprising the table board.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1-5, the upper ends of the legs 2, which according to Fig. 3 constantly remain at equal distances from each other on a circle b, are swingably connected to slides 5. These slides 5 are guided in guiding rails 6, the longitudinal axes of which run tangentially with respect to the circumference of a cylindric member formed by a rotatable disc 7 provided at the lower surface of the table board (Fig. 3). Steel tapes 8 are fixed with their one end to the slides 5 and of their radial distance from the center of the disc 7.

Due to their swinging connection with the articulation member 3 the legs 2 are erected, thereby lifting the table board.

Similarly a swinging of the lever 9 in clockwise direction in Fig. 3 results in a lowering of the table board, which may be adjusted in any desirable position in'between its upmost and lowermost position by engaging the flange of the angle member 10 of lever 9 in any of the gaps of the rack 11.

The length of the arc-shaped rack 11 is such that engagement of the flange of the angle member of lever 9 into one of the end gaps of the rack corresponds either to the innermost or to the outermost end position of the slides 5 in the guiding rails 6 and consequently ,to the upmost or lowermost position of the table board 1.

The lower surface of the table board is further provided with guiding blocks 12 guaranteeing a smooth drawing off of the steel tapes 8 from the rotating disc 7 when the table board is lowered.

Other than the represented adjusting means could be used. For example a self-locking gear could be provided for rotating the disc 7. On the other hand the articulation member 3 must not necessarily be spherical.

The embodiment partly illustrated in Figs. 6-9 represents a table having a circular table board 1 and legs 2 hingedly connected as shown for example in Fig. 5.

The upper ends of the legs 2, which according to Fig. 6 constantly lie on a circle b, are hinged to the outer ends of the steel tapes 8. These steel tapes 8 are guided in guiding rails 13 the longitudinal axes of which run approximately tangentially to the circumference of a cylinder 14 provided at the lower surface of the table board. The inner ends of the steel tapes 8 are secured to the outer surface of the cylinder 14, which further comprises a diametral bridge member 14a, by means of which the cylinder is rotatably mounted on a bolt 15 secured in the center of the table board 1.

The cylinder 14 rests on a plate 16 secured to the table board by means of screws 17, and is prevented from axial sliding by a screw nut 19 screwed onto the bolt 15 and bearing over a washer 18 against the bridge member 14a. A bolt 20 is screwed into an eccentrical bore of the bridge member 14a and secured by a screw nut 21. An actuating lever 22 is loosely disposed on the bolt 20, said lever 22 having an end portion projecting through an openin in the bridge m'ember14a in direction to the base plate 16. A helical spring 24 provided on the free end of the bolt and bearing against a cap-shaped nut 25 exerts a pressure in direction of the table board 1 onto the lever 22. Equidistant portions are cut from the base plate 16 along an arc and bent outwardly from the table board to form abutments 26'as best seen in Fig. 9. These abutments 26 are adapted to cooperate with the free end of abolt 23 provided on the lever 22 and facing the table board. A helical spring 27 disposed coaxially with respect to the bolt 15 on the bridge member 140 bears with its one end against the bolt 20 and is secured with its other end to the base plate 16. As best seen from Fig. 7 this spring 27 tends to rotate the cylinder 14- in counterclockwise direction. A cover plate 28 (-Fig. 6) protects the cylinder 14.

The operation of the aforementioned adjusting means is the following:

Assuming the table board 1 is adjusted on a level given by the position of the adjusting means shown in Fig. 7 and corresponding approximately to the upmost position of the table board, and should be lowered. For this purpose the free end of the lever 22 is pressed down against the action of spring 24. Thereby the bolt 23 disengages with the abutments 26 so that the lever 22 may be rotated in clockwise direction against the action of the spring 27 (Figs. 7 and 8). As the lever 22 is now released the spring 24 will pass it upwardly thereby bringing the bolt 23 into engagement between two abutments 26. Simultaneously with the lever 22 the cylinder 14 has been rotated resulting in an unwinding of the steel tapes 8 from the cylinder, and consequently in sliding outwardly the ends of the legs 2 pressed down by the weight of the table board and connected with the steel tapes 8. Thereby the inclination of the legs 2 with respect to the vertical direction is augmented so that the table board is lowered.

In order to lift the table board 1 the lever 22 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction (Figs. 7 and 8), whereby the action of the spring 27 counteracts the resistance produced by the weight of the table board so that the effort necessary for lifting the latter is reduced.

As is clearly seen from the foregoing description, the invention provides a piece of furniture having a plate vertically adjustable by very simple means, which, in normal use of the furniture are practically invisible.

What I claim is:

In a piece of furniture including a plate and a plurality of legs the combination of anarticulation member having at least three trunnions disposed with their axes in the same plane, a leg articulated on each of said trunnions all legs being at the same distance from each other, the plate lying in a plane parallel to the plane of said axes, steel tapes connecting the upper ends of said legs with the circumference of a cylinder rotatably mounted on the lower surface of said plate, a lever secured to said cylinder and provided with means adapted to cooperate with abutments provided on the lower surface of the plate, for securing the said cylinder in different positions corresponding to different radial distances of the upper ends of the legs from the center of said cylinder, guide rails having their longitudinal axes running tangentially to the circumference of said cylinder, slides in said guide rails, the upper ends of said legs being hinged to said slides, said steel tapes each having one end secured to said cylinder on the cylindrical circumference thereof and the other end to one of said slides, said lever being eccentrically secured to said cylinder, spring means operatively connected between said plate and said cylinder and biasing said cylinder to wind said tapes thereon and counterbalance said plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,240,964 Frank Sept. 25, 1917 1,872,669 Burlin Aug. 23, 1932 1,881,047 Doman Oct. 4, 1932 1,940,565 Schoot Dec. 19, 1933 2,184,500 Knowles Dec. 26, 1939 2,284,304 Shoop et al May 26, 1942 2,514,061 Hood July 4, 1950 2,527,045 Weed Oct. 24, 1950 2,533,173 Mitchell Dec. 5, 1950 2,618,523 Boyce Nov. 18, 1952 2,673,773 Dusenbury Mar. 30, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 445,780 Great Britain Apr. 17, 1936 462,736 Great Britain Mar. 17, 1937 

